Fernando Francesco d'Avalos di Pescara

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Fernando Francesco d'Avalos

Fernando Francesco d ' Avalos , Marchese di Pescara ( Margrave of Pescara) and Viceroy of Sicily , also known as Ferrante d'Avalos, Marchese of Pescara (* 1489 or 1490 in Naples ; † 1525 in Milan ) was general of Emperor Charles V and commander of the Imperial Spanish troops in the Italian campaigns.

Life

At the age of six he was betrothed to the daughter of Condottiere Fabrizio Colonna, born in 1492 , whom he married on December 27, 1509 in Ischia . His wife Vittoria Colonna became a famous poet.

His position as a nobleman in Aragon and Naples secured him the support of Ferdinand of Spain.

Avalos was wounded and captured by the French in 1512 as the leader of a light cavalry unit near Ravenna , but was released again a short time later because one of the most distinguished French military leaders, the Italian Gian Giacomo Trivulzio, who had attended Avalo's wedding, offered him for his release A ransom of 6,000 ducats made possible.

In 1513 he fought with distinction under Ramón Folch de Cardona near Vicenza and led the Spanish infantry in the battle of La Motta on October 7, 1513. Avalos defeated the Venetians under Lautrec and conquered Milan in 1521 . In 1522 he fought victoriously against the French troops at Bicocca.

When Charles V appointed Colonna commander in chief instead of his Prospero , Ávalos felt left out and went to Valladolid to complain personally to the emperor. Charles V appeased the angry general and assured himself of his loyalty.

When Francis I invaded Italy again in 1525, Ávalos was personally commissioned by the emperor to drive the French out of northern Italy. Despite all adversities - lack of pay and supplies - he succeeded in taking the French outpost at San Angelo in January 1525 and severing the line connecting Milan and Pavia.

Fernando Francesco d'Avalos

On February 24, 1525, he led a daring attack by arquebusiers and horsemen in the Battle of Pavía and thus contributed decisively to the devastating victory over the French. After the victory, again tied to the sickbed by another wound, he was finally appointed chief general of the imperial army in Italy.

Erroneously believing that Avalos had fallen out of favor with Emperor Charles, Girolamo Morone, secretary of the Prince of Milan, tried to convince the general to finally cleanse Italy of the French, Spaniards and Germans and promised him the throne in return. Several Italian princes, such as Pope Clement VII and Duke Francesco Maria Sforza of Milan, also visited Avalos and tried to win him over to the conspiracy. Pescara remained loyal, however, and only apparently went into these plans and then reported the details to Emperor Charles V.

Fernando Francesco d'Avalos, Marchese di Pescara, died as a result of his war injuries on November 30 of the same year (according to other sources on November 4 or December 3, 1525). He is buried in San Domenico Maggiore near Naples . Since he had no descendants of his own, he bequeathed his titles and fiefs to his nephew Alfonso d'Avalos , Marqués del Vasto, also an imperial general.

Survival

Conrad Ferdinand Meyer immortalized the political fate of Fernando Francesco d'Avalos in the novella The Temptation of Pescara (first edition Leipzig 1887).

literature

Web links

Commons : Fernando Francesco d'Avalos  - Collection of images, videos and audio files